Five Ideas to Provide Excellence
(Thursday General Session)
Patrick Adams, St. Louis Community FCU

If you're planning on success in the future, five key components must be addressed. We must be constantly improving our Corporate Culture.  People matter most.  We need Innovation to meet market demands.  Social Responsibility positions us a community leader.  Member Experience is being redefined by technology and demands personalized service like never before.  And of course, Financial Strength is a must to provide for investment to meet market demands. Let’s discuss these five components in order to ensure our planning is focused and productive. 

Patrick Adams never met a paradigm he wouldn't like to change. He helps audiences question the "because-we've-always-done-it-that-way" mentality and develops real-world solutions. He emphasizes the importance of service and quality through all delivery systems and challenges audiences to accept and adapt to change...no matter how painful. Adams has devoted over 25 years to the credit union movement and served as executive vice president of St. Louis Community Credit Union for more than 15 years. He also held various positions at other large Missouri credit unions and helped the Missouri League develop numerous programs and projects.

The Digital Imperative and Industry Disruption – A Lending Focus
(Thursday General Session)
Jim Bullard, CUNA Mutual Group

Digitization is about adapting to compete in an increasingly digital world. Credit unions are as diverse as their members and are faced with finding ways to maximize success by embracing the lending landscape. Fintech competition and digital technology are forcing this change. The traditional consumer and real estate lending processes have just about become obsolete in terms of efficiency and access to members. Success in the digital landscape depends on your ability to eliminate friction, minimize risks, and provide efficiency and consistency across all channels.

Jim Bullard is a senior consultant in the Risk & Compliance Solutions department for CUNA Mutual Group. In this role, he assists credit unions in identifying areas of risk in their operations and recommends appropriate controls to reduce loss exposures. He serves credit unions nationally and is the Team Lead for all lending related consultations. Jim is frequently asked to speak by various organizations on a variety of lending and fraud related topics.

Creating Extraordinary Member Experiences
(Thursday General Session)
Angela Prestil, CU.Difference

If you’re telling a story about an experience you’ve had, you’ll ignore most of what happened and focus instead on a few particular moments. The cool thing is that we can create these memorable moments for our members.  In the credit union service world, we can grow loyalty with our members by delivering extraordinary experiences that are unforgettable as Chip and Dan Heath share in The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact. In this session, we’ll discover the four key elements in creating special, defining moments through a streamlined journey mapping process. There are so many opportunities to elevate experiences for your members – let’s discover how together!

Angela Prestil brings a distinct specialty-set in the critical areas of employee engagement, leadership development, and member loyalty strategies. She has helped hundreds of business leaders and young professionals through her coaching, mentoring, and professional development efforts. Angela delivers a highly valued perspective on how to help business drive growth and optimize their future success, having spent 20 years as a leader at Credit Union National Association (CUNA).

Communicating in Times of Crisis 
(Friday General Session) 
Roger Grannis, Grannis Group

How do credit unions help their members thrive during challenging times? By communicating effectively. It sounds simple and easy, but it’s not. Effective communication is an art that takes commitment, practice, and lifelong learning. Communicating in Times of Crisis will give you a whole new perspective on what it means to communicate well and help you fine-tune skills you need to build trust, forge lasting relationships, and increase revenue growth.

Roger Grannis has improved business performance at some of the biggest names in banking: Wells Fargo, Royal Bank of Scotland, GE Capitol, Synchrony.  He is considered one of the most energizing, knowledgeable and entertaining speakers on influence, sales, and communications. Grannis brings a rare combination of expertise and humor to every speaking engagement.  He continuously hones his craft as a member of the National Speakers Association.

Getting More Strategic About Loan Growth
(Friday General Session)
Celeste Cook, CUStrategies

What can credit union leaders do to build a solid, sustainable strategic plan to maximize loan growth and profitability in an uncertain economic landscape? Credit unions across the nation must find ways to become more innovative and relevant for growth to sustain in an uncertain economic landscape. Successful credit unions must be quick and nimble in their efforts to be responsive to the needs of consumers and strategize to maximize loan growth and profitability as well as member retention/loyalty for long-term sustainability.

Celeste Cook is founder and President/CEO of cuStrategies LLC. Celeste brings her credit union experience, expertise, proven strategies, positive energy, and passion for service! In addition to being a consultant and trainer, she is a keynote and motivational speaker with a dynamic and engaging style that have made her highly sought after within the credit union industry. Celeste has also served as an industry expert, motivational specialist, and keynote speaker for credit union associations and leagues nationwide. Along with being CEO of cuStrategies LLC, she has been involved in the credit union industry for more than 20 years and a professional speaker and trainer for more than 15 years – also working for a $1.6 billion credit union in Atlanta, Georgia, and working as a consultant and trainer with Rex Johnson of Lending Solutions Consulting.

How to Pivot - how to face change and challenge and gain momentum (Friday General Session)
Rory Rowland, Rowland Consulting 

Rory Rowland is the president and founder of Rowland Consulting in Independence, MO dedicated primarily to helping organizations and leaders to reach their full potential. As a trend watcher he can help organizations analyze industry trends and use that information to make strategic decisions that will help the organization move forward. Rory is one of the most popular speakers at state and national conferences and he has spoken before thousands during his 15-year career.